Rotary engine.



ROTARY BGINB. APPLIUATON FILED MAY 31.1907.

PATENTED JULY 28. 1908.

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PATENTED JULY 28,'-1908'.

B. DAHL.

ROTARY ENGINE. A1 1=LI0A-TI0Nv @I LED MAY s1. 1907.

wir Waff/vers l BENJAMIN DAHL; orr iriiiiusiiro'Lisgiiifnviinsofin;v 5"

ROTARY ENGINE.

urtherobj ect is to providej a rotary enf` gine which will be comparatively econorn# constructions and combinations, all'as here inafter described and particularly pointed ical in the use of steam and canbe .adjusted to o erate in either direction. l T e invention consists generally mlvarious' out in thefclaims. I i y In the 'accompanying drawings', forming part of this s eciiication, Figure lis. averi"- tical sectiona viewof, a rotary engine :ein-

- bo'dyin 'my invention, taken onthe line -x o Fig. 2.` ,Figt A2 -is a sectional view taken' on a line substantially at right angles to the section line of Fig. .1. Fig. 3 isa secL tional view illustrating the rear' of the engine and the eccentric for operating the valves'in the' engine cylinder.- view onthe'line z-z of Fig. 2.4 Fig. 5' is a sectional'view on the line; 'Je-Jy of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view ion the line v --o of' n 'the drawing, 2 represents a suitable base andf a circular casing having a removthrough the c a'sing one side therein and a bearingS in a hub 9 able plate or cover 4. on one side.' f5 is'the engine shaft having a an' having bearings7 on on the covei'plate 4. The casing with the said cover `formsgthe' cylinder of the engine,

ajchamber 1,0 being rovided therein to ref ceive the revolving piston '11 that is keyed I on the shaft This piston is inthe form j of a wheel and has av series of wings 13- on its periphery. vThere are preferably three of these Wings arrangediat uniforml intervalsV I each one having abearing'block 14 that v-is which the fluid pressure is admitted. 'The' `yieldingly held against-the inner surface of the cylinder joint is' thus i wings and the Wall of the cylinder. In the rear of each wing a chamber is formed into by springs 15. A lsteam, tight casing 3, or as I will hereinafter designate it,'

the cylinder, ha's'a vseries of recesses 16l i 4formed in its walls wherein valves 17 are lSpeci-'ication of'Letters' Patent. Application led May 31, l1 v907. Serial No. 376,604

the wing passes Fig.l 4 'is' a lsecti'oiglal ulley 6.' and extendingv formed between the ends'of the,

riatented .Tilly 28, b1.908.

cyl" drical' in form and have-packing blocks correspondingto those in Lthe wings 13, and

lsurfaces A18.011 one side which during a cer-A tain interval in the rotation ofi the valves coincides with the periphery. ofthe wihg sui"- .face of thecylinde'rfto form a` vcontinuous curved surface against-which the bearing blocks of the Wings ,13 contact. ,The valves 17. are designed yto form abutments at one end'of the steamichamber'when the `pressure adapted toirotate.v bThese valves are semi' j isadmittedin the rearof the wings. .'.For

.-'instance, referring, to Fig. 1, on the right hand side 'o'f the fi nre, the valve is shown in positionfto .cuto thepassage around the piston, being moved to this'position just as theintake portl and steam is admitted in the rearof'thefwin .fThe

j pressure of the steam soadmitted w' l move valve 'will remainV closedvv the. iston" and the unt' the wing is labout midway between the intake andthe exhaust -when the'intake will be cut. off 'and-the expansion of the steam utilizedv to force cthe.,` istons the remainder of thegdistance to t e exhaust. yThe ar.`

'rang'gement4 of these intake andv exhaust ports will; hereinafter be described'in detail. 'Tooperate Vthe valves 17 at the proper timel I provide: each one with ua stem. 19 eX vtending through the head-fof the cylinder andprovidedf-with a piston' 20. A rack bar 21 is arranged to engage the teeth f' the pinion, being held `in contact therewith by an anti-friction wheel 22 and pivotaliy connected'to alink 23 thatv is pivoted at 2110,11

the cylinder. mounted on the rack bar 21 and adapted to4 enter a groove 26 provided-on a cam 27 that .i's'secured to the shaft 5. The re* olution of 'An anti-friction wheel25 isV this cam will obviously cause tlit reciprocation the rack bars 21, the revolution of the 'pinions 20 and a corresponding' movement l,

of the valves 17. The time of the operation of, the valves and the4 extent of their move- .ment will depend, ofcourse, upon thecharac ter of the groove in the cam 27. This in the cylinder immediately after the paspressure to the chanibfer. then be closed-in the rear of the inlet 'and will remain so until another wing approaches groove will-be made iii` such a way that' the valvesjwill swing .across thc .steam chamber4 sage of a- Wing-'andwhen the inlet port is opened in the rear of thawing to admit the The chamber will the valve when, the valve will be rotated to open the chamber andallow the passage of the Wing. By varying the shape of the groove in the cam the time of o erationl of the valves may of course be regulJated.

For convenience of description I will` desig- '5 nate the valves after the one marked 17, as

pressure chamber 31.

` f into the cylinder,

, 17, 171?, and-17C. Within the hub 9 apasvsage 28 is formed communicating at one end with a fluid pressure supply pipe 29 and at-v its other through the port 3() with afluid The Walls 32 (see Fig. 5) separate the passage 28 from an exhaust chamber 33 within the hub 9 and said 36a, 36", and 36c arranged to coincide with the passages 37,37, 37b, andl37 leading Passages 38, 38, 38b and 38c communicate with the exhaust chamber 33 and with one end of the ducts 39, 39, 39.b

tL opposite side of thev rotary valves therein 5:5 volve the cut off plate also.

from vthe chamber 31 into the cylin er.

, and 39 formed in the surface of the ring 35, nd these ducts communicate with passages 40, 40a, 40b and 40c provided inthe cover 4 and communicating with -the cylinderoii the from'the passages'37, 37 a, 37b and 37 c. The arrangement of these passages and ducts will bedunderstood by an examination of Figs. 4 an 5: -A cut ofi'l plate 41 is mounted on the linner end of. the hub 9 and has a lug 42 on one side provided with a slot 43 through which a in 44`s cured to the piston 11 rejects. lihe revolution of the piston Wil therefore re- The plate is provided.` with elongated slots 45, 45a and 45? that are adapted tocoincide, as the plate evolved with the ports 36, 36, StilJ and.

is 361,-,` in the ring 35 and admit uid ressure I have provided three slots in the cut out plate corresponding in number to the wings on the piston and the movement of the cut i oft plate will be timed so. thatone of these 45 slots will coincide with the port in the ring 36 Just as the wing 0n the piston has movedlby the passage leading from the port in the rin'g to the cylinder. The slots in the cut ott' plate will be elongated suiiiciently to allow.-

'fthe .passage of steam therethrough until the piston 'Wing has reached apoint where the expansion of the steam will force'it the re'f mainder of the distance to the next port. For the purpose of regulating the flow of pressure through the slots in the cut off plate I provide a series of valves'46, 46a and-46h,

' adapted to move between guides 47 .on said cut off plate and connected by links 48 with bell crank levers 49 that are pivoted at 50 on .the hubv of the piston andhave arms-51 pro- Jecting into an annular groove 52 in a stem 53 that is movable lengthwise in asocket 54 in the shaft 5. A spring 55 normally tends -to hold the bell crank levers in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the valves 46, 4 6.and-

, plate l 46b lretracted to expose the full width of the slots 45, 45a and 45h. When, however, the

, revolution of the cut otl'plate 4l exceeds the desired degree of speed, the valves will be thrown outwardly by against the tension of the spring l5 to close the slots in the cut ott plate and reduce the volume of fluid pressure admitted to the cylnder. An attachment 56 is preferably provided on the stem 53 to which a hand-o ier- 7 ated lever (not shown) may bel connected for the purpose of moving the stein lengthwise and opening or closing the slots in the cut eil' )y hand.

engine of this t e I provide gear teeth 57 on the periphery Oyfp the ring 35 between lugs 58 thereon and mount a pinion 59 on a shaft G() which extends through the wall of the cylinit is frequently desirable to reverse an der casing or cover 4 and is provided with a 85 hand wheel 61.

By the operation of the hand wheel the ring 35 may be rotated and when it is turned toward the right from the position shown in ig. 5 the intake and exhaust ports of the 90 cylinder will be reversed. The port 36 will be moved over to communicate with the pasl Sage 40a and the groove 39 will communicate with the passage 37 and the port 38 and hecome the exhaust while the passage 40 will 95 communicate with port 36 and become an lntaking passage to admit the tiuid pressure to the cylinder and on the opposite side of theA piston wi g from the position. illust-rated in Fig. 5. I claim as my invention:

1. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder, a revolving piston therein having wings -thereon at intervals arranged to contact .with the .walls of said cylinder, a series of 105 valves arranged in the periphery of said c linder and being substantially semi-,cylindrical in form and adapted during a portion of their revolution to torni a continuation of the surface of said cylinder, and during an 11i) other part of. their revolution to contact with said iston and forni one end of rassure cham vers between said valves vant. wings,

and said cylinder having intake and exhaust #passages communicating with the chambers 1i etwecn said valves and. wings,` and means for revolving said valves, an `nieans coinprising a rotating ring having ports arranged to register with said intake and exhaust a ssages for regulating the admission lof ,l uid 120 pressure to said chambers.

2. In a rotary engine, the'coinbinatioii, with a cylinder, of a revolving piston therein having a scries-of wings arranged to contact with the walls of said cylinder, revolv- 125 mg valves provided at intervals in the riphery of said cylinder and arranged during a portion of their'stroke to contact with the surface of said piston, .vhereb r fluid pressure chambers will hbe temporaril centrifugal force 7( y formed be- 13C luid pressure is admitted to said chambers,

means comprising a rotating ring whereby said port will be closed to cut ofi the'luidpressure when said wings are substantially midway between a valve and the next adjoining one, and said cylinder having suitable exhaust ports for said chambers, and means for revolving said valves. v

3. In a rotary engine, the combination, with a cylinder, ci valves mounted in the periphery thereof and substantially semi-cylindrical in form, said cylinder having recesses in which said valves revolve, .a piston revolving between said valves and arranged to contact therewith during a portion of the revolution of said valves, said piston having wings at intervals to coperate with said valves and form steam chambers, and said cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports communicating with-said chambers, a rotating ring having ports arranged to register with thc intake and exhaust ports of said cylinder, a revolving cam having a groove or track, and a rack bar having an anti-friction wheel to travel in said groove, and operatively connected with said valves to revolve them at predetermined intervals.

,4. In a rotary engine, the combination, with a cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, of a revolving piston provided in said cylinder, a disk having a loose connection with said piston and adapted to revolve therewith, said disk having a series of elongated slots arranged to register with said intake ports during the revolution of said disk and piston,` and a series of slide valves arranged to move across said slots and regulate the passage of the'iluid pressure therethrough according to the speed of the piston, substantially as described. A

5. In a rotary engine, the combination, with a cylinder having intake and exhaust ports, of a revolving -piston provided within said cylinder and having a series of wings ar-` ranged to contact with the walls of said cylinder, said intake ports admitting the' fluid pressure in the rear of said wings as Vthe pis- ,ton revolves, means operating between the wall of the cylinder, and the peri hery of said piston for temporarily closing t e space between them and coniininglthe fluid pressure, .a rotating ring having ports to coincide with the intake and exhaust ports of said cylinder, and means for shifting said rin to admit the pressure to either side of sai wings and thereby drive said piston in either direction, substantially as described.

and ports upon each side of said leading into said cylinder, a revolving 4andexhaust ports on opposite for operating said valves, andA ands 6. The combination, witha cylinder, having a series/of semi-cylindrical valves in its periphery, valve pistonhavingwlngs arranged to contact the walls of said cylinderjwthere/being uid pressure chambers -ioried between said wings around the periphery' of saidistoii i and one of said valves admitting a wing as it passes said head exhausting the uid pressure,

orts on each side `-o said and the uid pressure in the vrear ot ort and the next port valve in the rear of said intake port temporarily closing the space between lthe wall of the cylinder and said piston, whereby a pressure chamber will be formed between the contiguous wing and said valve, and meansv for operating said valves, and a rotating member having inlet orts ofnsai cylinder,

descri ed.

7. In a rotary engine, 'the combination,

with a cylinder, of. a revolvin piston arranged therein and 'having rigi ly mounted wings arranged tocontact with the inner Walls of said cylinder, there being three of said wings arranged at yintervals on theperiphery of said piston, within recesses in orts to coincide with the,`

substantially as.

a series of four valves provided the periphery of said cylinder, said valves being ,semi-cylindrical inl form and arrangedito contact during a .por-

tion of their revolution with thefsurface of said iston, and said valves having surfaces whic duringa portion'of their 'revolution form continuations of the surface of said cyl-v inder and permits the unobstructed passa e of saidwings, and said cylinder having' inta e sides of said valves, means means controlled by the movement of said piston for' regulating the admission of Huid pressure to said cylinder.

8. In a rotary engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of a piston' vprovided Within said cylinder and having a series of Wings, valves'arranged and ada ted to close the space between said wall an piston and coperate with said wings to conine the iuid pressure, said wall having intake and exhaust ports on opposite to rotate between the wall of. said cylinder and the periphery of said-piston,l

ieu

i ic

sides ci said valves, a rotatin member having a central luid pressure c amber and a v fluid ressure supply passage leading thereto iiuid pressure chamber andy to said cylinder ots and ports-leading therefrom to said ports, and means for rotating said member whereby the fluid pressure may be admittedl to said cylinder on either-side of said wings and valves to drive said' piston forward or backward.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto set myy handy this 20th day of May 1907.

. BENJAMIN DAHL. Witnesses:

J. B. ERA,

I. M. PYATT. 

